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About Yale Alumni Magazine | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1898)
$$. Vou. VIO Nae NEW HAVEN, CONN., THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1898. Price Tren Cents. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT. Dr. Seaver’s Statistics Show a Marked Improvement at Yale. The compulsory gymnastic work, which was instituted this year for mem- bers of the Freshman class, makes it possible to obtain the physical measure- ments of the entire class. The figures thus obtained furnish many interesting comparisons and fu.nish proof on many of the questions of anthropometry. They will also give some idea of the salutary effects of the physical training which students in all the preparatory schools are now receiving. The average age of the class at the time of measurement was found to be 19 years % month. The oldest man in the class was 33 years and the youngest 15 yearsQ months. The average height was 5 feet 7.5 inches, the tallest mem- ber of the Class being 6 feet 3%4 inches and the shortest 5 feet three-tenths of an inch. The average weight was found to be 134.2 pounds, the heaviest man being 215 pounds and the lightest 101% pounds. The other average measurements were as follows: girth of chest, normal, 34.4 inches; girth of chest, inflated, 35.8 inches; girth of biceps, 11.5 inches; girth of neck, 13.8 inches; girth of head, 22.4 inches; girth of waist, 28.1 inches; girth of thigh, 19.9 inches, and girth of calf, 13.7 inches. Capacity of lungs, 4 cubic liters, or 240 cubic inches. TWELVE YEARS AGO. For the sake of comparison, is given below the average measurements of the present Freshman class, those of the Class of Eighty-Seven taken in their Freshman year and also some of the average measurements of the present Freshman class at Brown University, where the same system of measure- ments is in use: Class Class Class AVERAGE. of of of Yale 1gor. Yale ’87. Brown igor. BSC ii agin pines 19y.%4m. I9y.1mM 19y. 6m. Weight [0 _ Sorc... 134.2 4 129.3 Heights fos 3e. 5107.5 5:07.8 5:06.8 Girth of chest (mor.) 34.4 33-4 28.0 fe ee aes 35:3 aire Biceps: 2: ¥1.5 12. aoe A SO an. 13.8 13.7 Pe eae Sees 22.4 22.5 22.2 ce. oe WOM So 28.1 28.4 mee Sra MS LS 19.9 19.8 b hte "Se ORME ee hae 13.7 13.6 ee Capacity of lungs.. —240. 225 231 A STRONGER MAN. In comparing the average man on entering college to-day with the Fresh- man of fifteen years ago, we find that he is now better physically developed although slightly shorter. The increas- ed capacity of the lungs is especially remarkable and is undoubtedly attribut- able to outdoor training which the majority of men receive before entering College. It is estimated that there are now ten men in training in preparatory schools where there was one fifteen years ago. The Freshmen at Brown are considerably shorter and not nearly as well developed in every way, al- though nearly six months older. This may be explained by the difference in the class of students of the two Univer- sities. Brown does not draw from the large preparatory schools as Yale does. Many of her students have prepared themselves. They are more mature in years, but physically much inferior to. the students of Yale. There are but 97 men or 38 per cent. of the Freshman class who have normal eyes. Seventeen others have one nor- mal eye, the other eye being abnormal to the extent of at least twenty-thirti- eths. Thirty-eight men, or about thir- teen per cent., used glasses before enter- ing College. No figures are obtainable for discovering whether there are fewer men with normal eyes now than ten years ago, but it is believed that this is the case. AVERAGE STRENGTH. The strength tests of the entire Class were not taken, but a call was issued for those wishing to take the test. One hundred and sixty-six men responded, this number not including the football candidates. The results of these tests were as follows: Average weight, — 152 pounds. s times pushed up, 5.3 & “ pulled up, 9.7 “ total strength 1,641.9 “ Jay W. SEAvER, M.D., Associate Director of the Yale Gymnasium. —_——_¢0—__—_ The News Banquet. The annual banquet of the Yale News © was held at the New Haven House last evening. About seventy-five were pres- ent, including a quartet from the Glee Club. R. H. Gay, ’98, acted as toastmaster. The toasts responded to were as fol- lows: “The Retiring Board,’ J.S. Mason, ’98. “Now for good Lucke, cast an old shoe after us.” —Heywood. “The Incoming Board,’ D.H.Day, ’o9. “It is good news, worthy of all acceptation; and yet not too good to be true.” —Matihew Henry. “The Alumni Weekly,’ L. S.Welch, ’89. “A ra bound to us by common trade.” | “Tate Outside”... G. E.. Eliot, Jr, 86. “Let us consider the reason of the case.” —Powell. “Faculty Doings,” C. W. Wells, ’96. “Please call during office hours.” —Carm. Yalen. “Vale Journalism in the Past,” Prof. W. L. Phelps. “IT love everything that’s old; old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine.” —Goldsmith. The invited guests were: J. O. Rod- gers, 98; D.C. Twichell, 98; G. Park- er, 65; F. EH. Simmons. 96; Es G Perkins,.;'06c.. bc. IN, . OWHE, “08: | fF. Wickes, 08; T. S. McLane, ’o8; D. DeF. Burrell, ’98; F. A. Lord, ’908; A. Pi Fitchs:}r., “6S; 2..W, Bedttie-[t., "98. Lio.5. 2. W.. Hamil, “08: G2 &. Schreiber, 98; J. W. Wadsworth, Jr., 98; H. E. Butler, ’98; J. C. McLauch- lant; 68: fi. Os ‘Lockman, ‘98; Li S: Weich, ’89; E. J. Thompson, special; Go eaaliet: jyr.,:60:. K.: Bo Harkness, 'OOsEch ss Oe INESOCOX, (07° oo, Hay, 98; M. Delano, ’98; R. T. Garri- son OG} Ce: Merrill; Je, "983k. Martin, 98 S.; B. C. Chamberlin, P.G.; R. H. Crowell, ’98; H. Bingham, ’98; EB. Sawyer, 0S:. HB. Wrigtt, 08; -&. W. Sheehan, 798; W. K. Chisholm, ’98; C. W. Wells, ’96; R. J. Turnbull, ’98; L.: Hitchcock, ’98; C. D. Cheney, ‘08; N- -Hs Cowdrey;:05; He His Gurran; 798; W. S. Ray, ’98; L. M. Williams, ‘Os, <hc H: Seranton, 08; A.: D. Bald- win, 98; H. D. Gallaudet, ’98; Prof. Wiese Pheips, »)’87: Walter Camp, ’80, was to have been present, but was prevented by business: a & , a ae Professor Hoffman, 80, now a pro- fessor in Union College, lectured in Marquand Chapel on Saturday, Feb- ruary 18th. His subject was “Germany as it is To-day.” BSSRX COUNTY YALE MEN. More of Them Together Than Ever— Professor Phelps on the State of Things—Englishwise and — Otherwise—Other Speeches, The fifteenth annual dinner, errone- ously called the fourteenth on the menu, of the Yale Alumni Association of Essex County, N. J., was held at Upper Music Hall, Orange, N.-J., on Friday evening, February 25th, at seven o'clock. The room was taste- fully decorated with palms and flags. On one side was the large Yale flag belonging to the Association and which has floated in many scenes of Yale’s athletic prowess. At one end was the long pennant bearing the name of the Association and underneath was a fine tiger skin with the inscription ‘6-o0.”’ The tables were arranged in the form of a horseshoe and were beautifully adorned with flowers. About sixty-five members and guests sat down to din- ner, the largest number that has ever attended one of these banquets. A quartet from the Yale Glee Club, con- sisting of Messrs. G. G. Schreiber, F. W. Sheehan, J. C. McLaughlin and H. €. Butler, sang the stirring songs of Yale and led in the rousing choruses. In this they were assisted by Noah Swayne, 2d, ’93, whose solos were heartily enjoyed, especially during the informal session that followed the more formal proceedings. EMIL SCHULTZE, PRESIDENT. After the material part of the dinner, which was admirably cooked and serv- ed had been disposed of, the President, Emil Schultze, ’85, called the assem- blage to order and spoke in part as fol- lows: “Gentlemen:—We trust that you all may have carefully fortified yourselves during the repast which has just been set before you by our dinner commit- tee, to successfully cope with the pro- gram of toasts mapped out for you by our Committee on speakers. We can congratulate the former committee on having scored a success, and need feel no doubt about the outcome of the endeavors of the latter. The average Yale man, notwithstanding his deep- rooted loyalty to all that is Yale, nowa- days scans his toast list with more dread than the list of opponents on a Princeton or Harvard eleven. Not only because the toast list is usually longer than the list of the eleven—or if not actually so in print is made so by the running in of substitutes—but aiso because he realizes that he cannot get in any interference and that the speakers will not be so readily downed. But I can give the assurance here to- night, which I feel will be equally agreeable to both hearers and speakers, viz: that our list will be carried out as printed, and not otherwise. You gen- tlemen who have toasts, will be called upon in the order given, and you gen- tlemen who have no toasts, will be ‘called upon to give your attention, in this formal part of our dinner, to only ‘those which you see on your score card. We believe in restricting the speakers to the size of our College debating team, and have no intention of increasing it to the numbers con- tained in a track athletic team. So you all know what is coming, or, at least, how much is coming. “Our Association is certainly to be congratulated on the numbers present to-night, continuing as it does an in- crease of interest in the Association dinners, which can readily be turned into an active interest in all that we want the Association to stand for as one of the many twigs of Yale. It is particularly gratifying to mark, as we have been able to do since the begin- ning of these annual gatherings, an increased attendance, on account of the fact that we live and thrive and work in territory that ordinarily might be fairly considered as set aside for and belong- ing to the lair of the “Tiger,” our sister University, Princeton. Imagine a Har- vard or Princeton dinner of sixty in Hartford! I doubt if there be such a one in all New England, excepting, of course, Boston, where sometimes two or three Harvard men gather together informally. If ]l am mistaken, the rep- resentatives of these slighted institu- tions will set me right when their turns come; and yet we have not only our own, but very flourishing ones in Plainfield and Newark. “It is not my purpose, nor do I con- sider it fitting in my position, to tres- pass on the field of Dr. Phelps, who is to speak for the University and tell you about the present condition of our beloved Alma Mater. We all know that Pres. Pierson is no longer among the living, and that the Old Brick Row is not complete; that the Fence is gone and that Murray the hackman hacks no longer; “Mory’s’ has been changed to ‘“Traeger’s,’ and so the ancient rivalry between these venerable institu- tions has been extinguished, and they are now one. With the progress in building and attendance of students and increase in teaching staff of the Univer- sity, the University side issues,—I might call them side doors—have kept pace. Where little more than a decade ago the student body had the aforesaid “Mory’s’ and “Traeger’s,” two drink- ing places, making an average of one to about six hundred students, we are now assured, on the best of authority and in no uncertain Voice that every student supports, on an average, six hundred drinking places, and all located within a radius of two blocks of the President’s home. “Nor has the Yale spirit changed, but it remains the same. In war or peace, in the professions and business, it is as heretofore. “Do all that is in you with all your power.” Each one of you can call up many examples of it in his own time and day. More recently, however, we have had it exemplified by one of the graduates of a year or two ago. It shows how, no matter what it may be that we are called upon to do, we Yale men start right in and do it with all our power, and usually make it a howl- ing success. Harry Whitney, a gradu- ate of a year or two ago, was appointed under the Tammany Mayor, Van Wyck, on the Board of Statistics of the new city. He had himself sworn in, and within a month purchased a $13,000 picture at the Stewart art sale. The remarkable fact about it all is that there is no salary attached to the office. It was just a case of Yale sand, or per- haps, better still—rocks. “The present critical times seem to me to call upon us more strongly than any in the memory of most of us here, to keep strong in our minds the glorious verse of the last stanza of the best of our Yale songs, “For God, for Country and for Yale,” and while I am sure that but few of us ever omit our daily prayer to our Creator, and none of us permit our loyalty to Yale to flag, I do fear that there are times when we forget the country we are living in, the Union of the North American States, than which the history of the world records no greater or more glorious; and so just because this is a Yale night, I feel that we may fittingly make it an occa- sion also to rejoice at the calmness an dignity and high statesmanship dis- played by those of our countrymen whom our ballots have elevated to the
